Yang's Paladin
by Outcast's redeemer
Summary: The days leading up to Ruby's leave were hectic. Planning, sneaking and convincing an over protective blond is more work than one would assume.


**Yang's Paladin**

Jaune was surprised when Yang didn't start screaming. Truth be told if his sisters were here they would have all attacked him for even considering what Ruby was planning. Funny when he was older than some of them. But he couldn't really fault Yang for her lack of questions and concerns. Yang probably knew Ruby wouldn't stop no matter what she said.

Still. It was unnerving for Jaune to be in the same room as the two sisters as they held a silent conversation. Every once and a while Yang would look at him with her emotionless eyes. He knew that they were just a front and that the unstoppable rage monster that was Yang Xiao Long was just waiting for the opportunity to be put to use. He could feel it.

It had happed all so fast for the Blond to remember exactly what went on and when. He was on the path to the house with his team after a successful Grimm hunt when they spotted one another. She in civilian clothes with her constant red hood overtop, he his armor scratched and covered in the blood of grimm. He remembered freezing when her silver eyes bore into his own. Ren and Nora had stopped as well. Unmoving, fearful that this was a dream.

Ruby was the first to break the silence as she activated her semblance and near teleported in front of Jaune before enveloping him in a bone crushing hug. He only had a moment to think her name before her tears started to stain his armor and shirt. He acted on pure gut instinct and enveloped her in his arms, both falling to their knees as he suddenly felt drained. He could feel Ren and Nora both wrap their arms around them as Ruby's cry turned into an uncontrolled sob.

He vaguely remembered seeing Taiyang being led away from the four by Qrow. His face passive and angry at the same time. He could only guess that Ruby didn't give him the same reaction as she gave JNPR.

Jaune couldn't remember when he joined in with crying, nor when Ren or Nora followed after. All he knew was that another one of his friends were safe and that was decent enough reason for a good cry.

Later that night he and Ruby talked for what seemed like hours. She spoke about what Qrow had told her, what she felt like she needed to do, her fears and dreams. After a while of constant talking she became withdrawn. She then told him of what she saw on top of the tower. Jaune, having grown up with seven sisters had never seen such emotion as he saw that night. His heart broke as she described in painful detail the scene that took Pyrrha away from him. He nearly began to sob when she began to beg for his forgiveness. He yearned for anything to help ease the pain of the young girl. Unlike the rest of JUPR and Yang to some degree, time had healed them, but for Ruby it was like it happened yesterday. All he could do was to try to console her since Yang did not have the strength to do so.

Even as the two sat in her room, she sobbing for forgiveness, him unmoving and wordless. Jaune felt that he was hopelessly outclassed. He wasn't her father. Her sister. Heck her uncle would probably know what to do. He was just Jaune. The same Jaune whose first chance at consoling someone he cared about ended with his teammate dead. So he said nothing. He just let her sob into his unarmored chest as he listened to her. He felt angry at Yang for putting him in this position… she was Ruby's rock. Hot him.

Thinking of the blond brawler brought his train of thought back to the present. Ruby sat on the edge of Yang's bed, her fingers tapping against themselves as she and the blond fighter stared at each other. Jaune himself was standing by the door waiting for anything, be it a heated discussion or violent fight.

When nothing was spoken Ruby took the initiative and opened her mouth to speak. "Yang- "

She was cut off when Yang spoke. "Ruby… are you trying to get yourself killed?"

There it was. That one sentence was all it took. Ruby's eyes narrowed as tears began to brim at her eyes. "Someone has to stop her!" She screamed.

Yang's retort was simple. "let someone else Die! I'm not going to lose you too!"

Jaune tilted his head away. He wasn't supposed to see this. The two sisters lost in emotion let go their bounds of self-discipline and let everything they held in out. He was glad Ren and Nora were packing up the camp. He was also glad that both Qrow and Taiyang were back at Signal Academy at the request of the council. If not, then the two screaming sisters would have surly awoken them. None of them were supposed to see such heated words spoken from siblings. Least of all him.

Yang was as stubborn as she was beautiful. Even at a disadvantage of being bed redden she still challenged Ruby at every juncture. Using logic and fact to try to sway her. She even tried to turn him against the younger girl. But he had made a promise upon his word. And his word is his bond. He would see it through no matter the path Ruby chose. But as he watched Yang slowly run out of ammunition to use against her sister, he began to take notice of her eyes moving to watch him more frequently. He could feel her hatred towards him increase with every glance.

Soon her anger at the blond knight began to overload her senses as she lost her fire. Her physical expression changed from a sister having a fight to that of a loved one seeing those close to them off to war never to be seen again. His lips grew taught as Yang's emotions tuned from holy fury to crushing sadness. Her lips quivered, sweat pooled at her brow, and her left hand clenched until the knuckles were white. Finally, after several minutes of shouting Yang broke down in a shattered sob.

He clinched his eyes as he tried to block the sound of Yang's cry. She was the strongest one of them. Both mentally and physically. While her prankish nature and slacker mindset fooled most people, those close to her knew that she did not brake easily. Listing to Ruby tell her she was going after "her" in a relentless pursuit threw the breaker and released the dam of tears that were held up since she was a child.

Ruby, uncharacteristically, did not go to her sister's aid. Instead she closed her eyes and left to her room, leaving Jaune, whose own eyes were still clinched shut due to the pained sobbing did not hear the red hooded girl leave.

"J-Jaune…" Jaune was brought out of his inner turmoil when the broken voice of Yang called out to him. He opened his eyes to gaze into the lilac orbs of the blond brawler. His throat felt dry as he tried to swallow. Just hearing her say his name spoke volumes. This wasn't the same Yang as was in Beacon. This was a more dangerous one. One that could kill him even while bed ridden.

"Yang…" He said softly, afraid to speak should he cause her more pain. As well as afraid of receiving her fury.

She gazed into his eyes hers giving an untold message unto his own. Silently the two blonds stared at each other. The only sounds were that of Yang's quiet sobs and his own patient breathing.

When he was younger his mother had told him of a story lost to the sands of time. A story of a man, his family, and a boat. The story went that the creator of time itself felt that humanity had lost its place in the cosmos and chose to let a flood besiege it. However, the creator saw something in one farmer and his family and allowed him a chance at survival. He told him years in advance and forewarned him of the perils that would come down upon humanity. In turn the man vowed his eternal service to the creator. To honor that vow the creator ordered a boat to be built to house his family and anyone who the man chose. The creator gave instructions to the man telling how and when to build it. And when the flood came he and those he chose would survive.

Jaune had always found that story to be confusing. Why would the creator cause so much destruction? Why would he give a chance of survival to a lowly farmer and not to the kings and kings that dotted the land. And why even give the chance to him in the first place…

Only recently did he begin to understand what the story was meant for. Hope. Other fairy tales told of heroes and demons and the epic struggle that ended in the victory of the hero against the forces of evil. Except there was a problem with those stories. The never told of the cost for such victory. With the one his mother told him that wasn't the case. The entire world was washed away leaving only those on the boat to wonder and hope for a new beginning. There was no hero. No villain. Nothing except death… and hope.

Sometimes life did not bring heroes to fight away the darkness. Sometimes it only brought a boat to help hope survive on. Not everyone could be the hero. But some can be the boat to help hold the burden that those who face the darkness cannot hold onto.

The blond knight stepped up to Yang's bedside. "I swear on my father, on my future sons, on my very being. I will do anything in my power to keep her safe…" Jaune softly said, his voice bursting with emotion.

Yang's eyes narrowed as she gripped his arm with her hand. Her strength strong even when she was broken. "Then tell her not to go…" She hissed.

Jaune shook his head sadly. "Even if she trusts me Yang… you know she'll never listen to me."

At this tears started to fall again even as her grip tightened on Jaune's forearm. He took a knee by her bed as he gripped her hand with his own. "Yang… You know I can't stop her." She choked as her tears began to fall faster. "But know this," His eyes gleamed with a fire as he spoke. "I will not abandon her to face this alone. Never again." She never saw the golden flame dance in his eyes as his aura began to glow. He didn't notice the white light that moved from his own hands to her own. They didn't notice how the world seemed to fade away as Jaune stared into Yang's lilac orbs with an intensity so strong that she nearly gasped in fright.

She broke away her gaze as clinched her eyes shut. "Go…" She whispered.

"Yang- "

"GO!" she yelled, her eyes turning red with her sudden anger.

He rose form he knees and walked to the door. Before exiting he turned to look at Yang whose eyes were facing the outside world. "I'll bring her home Yang. I promise." With those final words spoken he exited the room leaving Yang looking out though the window to the cold landscape that lay before.

A few days later Yang would watch as her sister and team JNPR left on the path to the village and eventually the docks that would enable them to start their journey. Her reaming gauntlet laid on her dresser untouched for a month waiting to be called to service. But she did not have the strength to do so. She heard her father scream Ruby's name but even that did not spur any emotions. If she would be honest with herself, she would say that she had underestimated Jaune's abilities. No one she knew had the courage to face her wrath save for Ruby and even then she was only able to do so because they were sisters. But Jaune. He faced it, fought though it, and even made her accept Ruby's plan… No matter how much she hated it. She could tell he was scared… she was scared. Except she was sitting here and he was on the march to war.

She closed her eyes as she flexed her remaining hand in silent contemplation. Jaune had promised… She knew he would accomplish it even if it meant his demise. She just hoped that it wouldn't come to that. After all he touched her without her permission… No one touches Yang Xiao Long and gets away with it. A small glimmer of hope began to burn inside Yang's eyes as she opened them.

* * *

 **AN: This was an emotional one I'll tell you what. I mean this isn't cannon but I can definitely see Ruby and Yang talk about Ruby's decision to hunt down Cider the night before. I mean come on Yang just sitting there while her sister goes off to war? Doubt it. Anyway I hope to hear what you thought of it.**

 **If you are wondering why it took so long to put out then wonder no further. I had jury duty and a lot of other crap that just piled on top of each other limiting my time on my trusty laptop.**

 **In other news Blake's story is going to be put out either before or after my trip to Europe. And I have an awesome idea to force it past the fact that Blake and Jaune never really interact with each other in the show.**

 **Also I do believe I found Jaune's perfict theme. The song is "Cry Thunder" by Dragonforce. Listing to the lyrics just screams Jaune's inner hero complex. Check it out, I think you'd agree with me.**

 **So there's that. I hope to read from your reviews. if not then give it a fav if you liked it. See ya.**


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